This invention relates to improvements in the functional design of electrical receptacles for use in combination with electrical key-like devices. The invention is an improvement over the inventions of the copending applications, Ser. No. 52,773, filed June 28, 1979 and Ser. No. 163,307 filed June 26, 1980. The disclosures of said respective applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Electrical devices of various types have been proposed in which a master circuit or electrical operating system of some kind, such as a computer system, is activated by use of a portable device that is combined with the electrical system, or by insertion into a slot or the like to make electrical contact or connection with the system. This invention is concerned broadly with such portable devices and with such systems. However, it is specifically concerned with a receptacle for receiving electrical key-like devices that carry data in the form of a microelectronic circuit component or chip and providing electrical connection between such component and a computer or other operating electrical circuit. Such key-like devices and receptacles therefor have been described in detail in copending applications Ser. No. 52,773, filed June 28, 1979 and Ser. No. 163,307, filed June 26, 1980. The key-like devices of the aforementioned applications can retain relatively large amounts of data bits (information) in a portable medium with a small size. Very fast data access and data transfer rates (times) are provided by electrical connection of such devices to a computer i.e., an electrical circuit means including a program memory and a processor, by means of specially designed receptacles therefor. It is desirable that the receptacles have a design which provides good electrical contact with the computer even after prolonged usage.